Luke Bryan celebrates his 44th birthday on July 17, marking another year of success for the singer, American Idol judge, Nashville bar owner and generally hilarious person.
Since arriving on the music scene in 2007, Bryan has released six studio albums and earned 25 No. 1 hits, with his most recent, “One Margarita,” topping the charts this month. He has sold over seven million albums worldwide and has been headlining his own tours for years, though he’s currently off the road due to the coronavirus pandemic. He also has a hand in his bar, Luke Bryan‘s 32 Bridge, recently opened a steakhouse in Nashville with Jason Aldean. Bryan is currently preparing for the release of his next album, Born Here, Live Here, Die Here.
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Read on for a few facts you might not know about one of country music’s biggest stars.
He has a degree in Business Administration from Georgia Southern University
Bryan attended the university, located in his home state, earning himself a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity at the school and graduated in 1999. Georgia Southern was also attended by Bryan’s fellow country singer Cole Swindell, who sold merchandise for Bryan after his own graduation.
He played the male lead in ‘Annie, Get Your Gun’ in high school
Thanks to YouTube, fans can see Bryan as Frank Butler in the classic Annie, Get Your Gun, with the future star donning an all-white costume complete with matching cowboy hat and plenty of fringe. His stage presence is clear from the clip, and looking back, it’s not hard to see why Bryan has since been named Entertainer of the Year.
He got a publishing deal before getting a record deal
After arriving in Nashville, Bryan saw success as a songwriter first, landing a spot with a publishing house in the city. Before earning his record deal, he co-wrote songs including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions” and the title track of Travis Tritt’s My Honky Tonk History. After getting his own deal, Bryan wrote or co-wrote all but one of the 11 songs on his debut album, I’ll Stay Me.
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He could hum the hymn ‘Rock of Ages’ before he could talk
Bryan’s mom, LeClaire Bryan, shared that when the singer was a baby, she would hum they hymn “Rock of Ages” to calm him, Taste of Country reports. As a result, Bryan could hum the tune before he could talk, making it clear that singing was in his future.
His first job was at a grocery store
When Bryan was 12 years old, he got a job stocking and cleaning up produce at local grocery store Rubo’s in his hometown of Leesburg, Georgia, a small town with a population of around 3,000. Bryan has come a long way from a youngster working at the grocery store, and his name is now included on the sign welcoming visitors to the town.
His wife’s initials are tattooed on his backside
Bryan married wife Caroline Boyer in 2006 after the pair met while Bryan was attending Georgia Southern. Jason Aldean shared the news of Bryan’s tattoo with Chicago radio station WUSN, revealing that Bryan got the ink while on tour with Aldean.
“He was complaining about it [itching], and I was like, ‘What is wrong with you?’” Aldean said, explaining that Bryan proceeded to show him the design. Bryan also has Boyer’s initials tattooed under his wedding ring on his left hand.
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He eats Lay’s potato chips before his shows
The 42-year-old counts the salty snack as a pre-show ritual, sharing with Battered and Brewed that he always asks for a bag before he performs. As for his guilty pleasure food, Bryan named movie theater popcorn as his answer and shared that he tends to crave a good cup of coffee while on the road.
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He was planning on moving to Nashville from Georgia when his older brother was killed in a car accident
Bryan was just days away from moving to Nashville at age 19 when his older brother, Chris, was killed in a car accident. “I was never convinced I’d get back to Nashville, but I didn’t spend time on ‘Should I go or should I not?” Bryan told People, via CMT.com. “It was just ‘Not going.’ Your mother had just lost a child. At that point, her youngest son was not going to leave the house. Chris’ dying got me a little more mature.”
He stayed at home for several more years, attending school and working for his dad on the peanut farm but eventually made it to Nashville in 2007 after getting a push from his father.
HIs first kiss was during the movie ‘Big’
The “Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset” singer shared the fact with People, CMT reports. The kiss happened during the summer between Bryan’s sixth and seventh-grade years. He also revealed that his pet peeve is when people show up late, his worst habit is talking on his phone during dinner and he wears an old robe from the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas around his house.
